Here you will find the European geographical map. This colourful map will give you a first and very quick impression on actual and/or expected awareness situation across Europe. Colour assignment will be as coherent and consistent as possible, crossing national borders within the European METEOALARM domain. The colour assignment is related to the impact and damage expected.

1.1 Website (static) information in your languageIf you want to change to another language you can select it by mouse clicking the “change language” toolbar in the right upper position.

1.2 The meaning of the coloursThe exact explanation on awareness colours you will find by clicking on the colour legend (down left part) of this page.

A summary of colour explanation:

White:Missing, insufficient, outdated or suspicious data.

Green:No particular awareness of the weather is required.

Yellow:The weather is potentially dangerous. The weather phenomena that have been forecast are not unusual, but be attentive if you intend to practice activities exposed to meteorological risks. Keep informed about the expected meteorological conditions and do not take any avoidable risk.

Orange:The weather is dangerous. Unusual meteorological phenomena have been forecast. Damage and casualties are likely to happen. Be very vigilant and keep regularly informed about the detailed expected meteorological conditions. Be aware of the risks that might be unavoidable. Follow any advice given by your authorities.

Red:The weather is very dangerous. Exceptionally intense meteorological phenomena have been forecast. Major damage and accidents are likely, in many cases with threat to life and limb, over a wide area. Keep frequently informed about detailed expected meteorological conditions and risks. Follow orders and any advice given by your authorities under all circumstances, be prepared for extraordinary measures.

1.3 The meaning of symbols (weather parameters)Easily understandable symbols do define the weather parameter(s) expected to cause danger. These symbols/parameters are explained in the lower part of the homepage. The right part of the homepage shows a table with all participating countries, their actual awareness situation and the related weather parameters (symbol + colour). If a weather parameter is not defined for a warning, a square with a diagonal slash is shown.

1.4 Filtering the symbolsIf you only want to inform yourself on awareness for a certain parameter you may do so by selecting it with the “awareness type” scrollbar. You have to keep in mind that some parameters, such as for example: avalanches, forest fires, extreme temperatures and coastal events, are not covered by all participating countries.

1.5 Today or tomorrow and system information timeThe meteoalarm system offers you the choice to inform yourself on today’s or tomorrow’s awareness across Europe. You can select this choice by changing the “display” scrollbar in the upper part of the homepage. Today and tomorrow are linked to Central European Time (CET = UTC+1) and during the European daylight saving time period to the Central European Summer Time (CEST = UTC+2).

1.6 How old is the informationYou will find a time stamp in the upper left corner of the European map, giving the latest update moment, date and time(CET or CEST) for the meteoalarm system information.

1.7 How to solve outdated informationIf the meteoalarm information does not get updated on your computer you may try to get it refreshed by selecting F5. If this does not work you should check your internet connection (is it still active?) or you may have local cache problems (try to empty your cache).

2. Country level (2nd level)

While the highest colour assigned within one of the regions of each country will consistently colour this country on the European overview map. On the country level map you will find specific details on the awareness situation in each participating country.

You can reach this country level by mouse clicking a specific country on the European geographical map, or by mouse clicking a country banner in the overview table on the right hand side of the homepage .

2.1 Country informationThe country map will show the country regions and the awareness levels raised for these regions. Starting from an orange awareness level and for some countries already for yellow, a symbol (indicating the weather parameter at stake) is placed within the region. If more than one symbol is assigned (at a maximum of three) for one region, you will notice this by moving your mouse over the geographical domain (the regions). This “mouse over” function will show you the name of the region together with the symbol(s) assigned in the upper left corner of the geographical map. Also on this country level you will find an overview table showing all country regions, the awareness levels raised together with the related symbols (parameters).

In the legend, at the lower part of this webpage, you will find the total range of symbols (weather parameters) for which this specific country assigns awareness levels.

Again you may choose for today’s or tomorrow’s awareness information by selecting it with the “display” scrollbar.

Mouse clicking on the NMS-logo (the source of origin of the national awareness information) you will be linked to the NMS web servers home- or warning pages.

3 Country region information (3rd level)

If you mouse click on one of the regions of a country it will bring you to the country regional level with even more details on the specific awareness information raised for this region.

3.1 Timeline and intensity information and background picturesStarting from awareness level Orange and for most countries already starting from Yellow, you will find for each region additional awareness information. Such as a “timeline” showing the period in which the event is expected to happen and some countries may add intensity information on this regional level, such as wind speed, snow- or rainfall amounts or density of the fog. Again the parameter and awareness colour is visible, but now presented together with a background picture giving you a more lively indication on the weather and impact expected, urging you to anticipate to the danger.

3.2 More than one weather parameter for a regionIf a certain region has more than one awareness parameter you will find all this information separated for each assigned parameter.

3.3 Warning details on the NMS websiteOn the right hand bottom side you will find the NMS logo. Clicking on this logo will link you to the Natonal Meteorological Service home- or warning pages where you may find: Warning texts, explanations on colour assignment strategy and any additional observations related to the expected dangerous or extreme weather.

4. Source of information (the origin) and intellectual ownership of information

• The National Meteorological Services (NMS)from all participating countries are responsible to deliver their awareness information to be gathered and presented within the Meteoalarm system. The awareness levels assigned within Meteoalarm together with the related symbols and other more detailed information origins from these Service´s.

• All dynamical Meteoalarm information, originating from National Meteorological Services together with all related additional information and features on the national web servers linked via Meteoalarm, will remain under full responsibility and in intellectual ownership by the originating NMS.

• The Meteoalarm system itself provides the framework to present all this gathered European meteorological awareness information. This collective database and graphical system with all features, such as software and hardware are owned by Eumetnet = The network of European meteorological services.

• The Austrian National Meteorological Service (ZAMG = Zentral Anstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik) has been made responsible by Eumetnet to support and maintain the operational Meteoalarm system and its web server(s).

• Users of the website are supposed to read and agree on all the Terms and Conditions that go with the use of the Meteoalarm website. You will find the link to our terms and conditions in the upper part of the website entrance page (the home page).

5. Proxy Servers

• Any kind of proxy mechanism (client browser, dedicated and transparent company/ISP proxies, firewalls and gateways with proxy functionality) can affect the actuality of displayed content of www.meteoalarm.eu• Meteoalarm itself caches the images for max. of 10 minutes, the maps itself are created every 20 minutes (see timestamps on maps.). Contact your administrator if the displayed time is outdated.